Must-see restaurants in Maine

  • Primo

    Midcoast Maine

    In a sprawling Victorian house a mile from downtown sits Primo, widely considered to be one of Maine's best restaurants. Awarded chef Melissa Kelly has…

  • Fore Street

    Portland

    Fore Street is the lauded, long-running restaurant many consider to be the originator of today's food obsession in Portland. Chef-owner Sam Hayward has…

  • Holy Donut

    Portland

    Doughnuts made from potato? Yep, and they're awesome. Local Maine potatoes and sweet potatoes go into the recipe for these doughnuts, creating a moist,…

  • Chase's Daily

    Midcoast Maine

    A true farm-to-table experience, this cafe-bakery-farmers market presents fabulous, all-vegetarian fare – plus wicked-good baked treats, from cauliflower…

  • Shannon's Unshelled

    Midcoast Maine

    If you like your lobster rolls simple, with no accoutrements but melted butter on the side, Shannon's is ideal. The meat is fresh and there's lots of it,…

  • Bayside American Cafe

    Portland

    This charming brunch and lunch spot is great for a rib-sticking meal to start your day. It uses steak in its corned beef and one of its eggs Benedict…

  • Central Provisions

    Portland

    Snug, redbrick Central Provisions is a consistent winner in the Portland haute cuisine stakes. Angle for a seat at the bar, overlooking the line chefs in…

  • Rose Foods

    Portland

    Life doesn't get much better than a good bagel, and the best bagels in Portland are served at Rose. There are about nine bagel sandwich options – we love…

  • Seafolk

    Midcoast Maine

    This beautiful little cafe has great views of the harbor, strong, excellent coffee, and a stellar lineup of egg sandwiches, blueberry pie, delightful…

  • Me Lon Togo

    Midcoast Maine

    You can put West African cuisine on top of our 'Didn't expect that in small-town Maine' list, right alongside unseasonably warm winters. But along comes…

  • Fog Bar & Cafe

    Midcoast Maine

    Industrial-chic aesthetic meets an experimental theater, and everything gets overlaid with maritime Maine ingredients and flourishes. The menu changes…

  • Laan Xang

    Midcoast Maine

    Oh, of course: 'Laan Xang,' named for the medieval Lao kingdom of a 'Million Elephants and White Parasols' – totally expecting a restaurant to bear that…

  • OhNo Cafe

    Portland

    Actually, oh yes. This bare-bones operation looks like a corner store with a kitchen, because that's more or less what it is. The sandwiches here are…

  • Five Islands Lobster Company

    Midcoast Maine

    Imagine crab cakes with fresh dill-tartar sauce, golden fried clams and lobsters dripping with melted butter. The food at this wharfside lobster shack, 13…

  • Terlingua

    Portland

    This fascinating gem serves up small-batch barbecue dinners starting at 5pm, and a menu inspired by the Southwest and the Caribbean at all other times…

  • Red's Eats

    Midcoast Maine

    The lines for this US 1 seafood shack, just west of the downtown bridge, slow down summer traffic so much that the local government has been trying to…

  • Cabbage Island Clambakes

    Midcoast Maine

    A prized Maine tradition: a scenic cruise from Boothbay Harbor to the small, family-owned Cabbage Island, where a traditional clambake provides a…

  • Wannawaf

    Midcoast Maine

    You're not missing the translation of some obscure form of Central European cuisine: Wannawaf is just midcoast Mainer for 'Wanna waffle?' In this case,…

  • Suzuki Sushi Bar

    Midcoast Maine

    The super-fresh seafood of midcoast Maine is put to exquisite use at Suzuki’s, where the sushi chefs are women (in a field dominated by men). Sashimi and…

  • DuckFat

    Portland

    DuckFat is famous for its fries cooked in (yes) duck fat. On the right night, they're shatteringly crisp, with fluffy centers. Dipping sauces (truffle…

  • Scallop roll with black tobiko caviar, mayonnaise and sprouts.

    Miyake

    Portland

    This sushi bar offers some of the freshest fish in Portland – and that's saying a lot. Order à la carte or choose one of chef Masa Miyake's omakase (chef…

  • Cafe Miranda

    Midcoast Maine

    Kid-friendly family restaurants have a reputation for being a little unimaginative, but this definitely isn't the case at Cafe Miranda. An old house with…

  • Eventide Oyster Co

    Portland

    Rocking seafood-lovers' worlds since opening in 2012, Eventide still has plenty of hype, and one look at the raw bar here explains all: fresh Maine…

  • Scales

    Portland

    A cavernous dockside warehouse is the setting for this superb seafood restaurant, with impeccable pedigree (it's from the team behind the acclaimed Fore…

  • Front Room

    Portland

    Crowded, noisy and perfumed with smoke from the open kitchen, this Munjoy Hill hot spot is a sweet neighborhood refuge from chilly Portland evenings…

  • Coastal Cafe

    Midcoast Maine

    Coastal Cafe is an exceedingly fine place to get coffee and breakfast; the latter can take the form of giant buttermilk pancakes, baked French toast, cage…

  • Petite Jacqueline

    Portland

    Jacqueline is an excellent throwback to the sort of old-school French cuisine food writers used to dream about. Roasted chicken with rainbow chard and…

  • Ports of Italy

    Midcoast Maine

    This upscale, romantic Italian spot earns well-deserved raves for dishes like lobster-filled ravioli, filet mignon with gorgonzola sauce, and classic…

  • Damariscotta River Grill

    Midcoast Maine

    Seared tuna, lobster cakes and potato pancakes are all on the menu at this upscale but casual seafood restaurant, but the main draw, as you might guess,…

  • Young's Lobster Pound

    Midcoast Maine

    Choose your lobster from the pound, or order from the short, simple menu, then tuck in at the waterside picnic tables – Young's has the no-frills lobster…

  • Contented Sole

    Midcoast Maine

    We admit: we initially checked this spot out just because of its name. But then it turned out it had really great food! Freshly shucked oysters, smoked…

  • Chaval

    Portland

    A hip, inviting dining room caters to customers looking for French- and Spanish-inspired small and big plates, ranging from duck rillettes on duck-fat…

  • Lobster Pound Restaurant

    Midcoast Maine

    Fresh local lobster is the name of the game at this recommended seafood joint on Lincolnville's beach, though there are plenty of other options (fishy and…

  • Jordan Pond House

    Acadia National Park

    Afternoon tea at this lodge-like teahouse has been an Acadia tradition since the late 1800s. Steaming pots of Earl Grey come with hot popovers and…

  • Ondine

    Midcoast Maine

    Oysters and wine? Yeah alright, and more of both. This oyster and wine bar specializes in shellfish, but you can also find charcuterie plates, duck confit…

  • Honey Paw

    Portland

    A creation from the owners of a few highly regarded restaurants around town, Honey Paw has a cool warehouse fit out and a menu of hipsterized pan-Asian…

  • Larson's Lunch Box

    Midcoast Maine

    This seasonal walk-up is immensely popular with locals and tourists, who pack in for burgers, chili dogs and, of course, thick lobster rolls that are…

  • Hoot

    Midcoast Maine

    The Hoot is a farm-to-table restaurant in the original sense – ie it's a restaurant attached to a farm, located about 3.5 miles south of Belfast in…

  • Nosh Kitchen Bar

    Portland

    Deli-style sandwiches like the avocado naan and Korean fried chicken grace the menu at this hip downtown spot, which is popular with young Portland…

  • Sammy's Deluxe

    Midcoast Maine

    Plenty of restaurants try to recreate the atmosphere of a cozy home dining room; Sammy's pulls this off with aplomb. The seasonal, ever-changing menu is…

More destinations you need to see